Archive for October, 2012

The mainstream media say there are approximately 4 percent of people who consider themselves “undecided” about the presidential election. My personal opinion is there are more like four. Not percent — the number four. If there is even that small percentage of voters who haven’t made up their minds yet after the nonstop campaigning and being bombarded by political ads day and night for as long as we can remember, they most likely will just not vote.
The first thing undecided voters need to do to come to a rational decision is to educate themselves on the candidates’ positions. In the case of Mitt Romney, this could take a while because they are prone to changing month to month, week to week or even day to day. And pay particular attention to his statements, which often seem to defy conventional wisdom or wisdom altogether.
A particular example just happened to play on a TV commercial even as I’m typing this. Romney states that teachers have nothing to do with building a strong economy, and that smaller classes are just the teachers union trying to get them to hire more teachers! I would be willing to bet that old Mitt never had 40-plus students in his classes in elementary through prep school, so it probably never occurred to him that the quality of education available to the hoi polloi in public schools is directly affected by class size. One teacher can hardly give any student any individual help or attention if she or he has to try to keep a large number of students engaged in the educational process. Those who attended private schools have little or no awareness of the trials and tribulations that the middle class and poor generally face.
Anyone who thinks that a well-educated populace has no bearing on the economy is delusional or simply doesn’t care about the people not in his social set. Romney’s “47 percent” comments have been well reported and seem to bear this out. It’s not just 47 percent that he doesn’t care about, however. The number is probably double that at least. Romney seems to have no real idea what life is like for people who weren’t born with silver spoons in their mouths. He has spent his entire life in a bubble of privilege that has insulated him from the real-life adventure of having to make ends meet. He’s used to getting his way, and will do or say whatever he thinks the crowd du jour wants to hear to meet his goal of becoming president. You never get the feeling that he wants to be president to help you and me. It’s more like it’s another notch on his gun handle. It’ll be cool on his résumé, and when he’s done with that, he can probably make some really lucrative bucks by being on some large corporate boards. We’re not his people.
Romney keeps touting how when he was governor of Massachusetts, he worked with an 87 percent Democratic controlled legislature. During his one term in office he vetoed 800 bills; 707 of these vetoes were overridden. Hardly sounds like he was stepping across the aisle to work with the opposition. Add to that the fact that he was gone from the state for 212 days during the last year of his term. He was already moving on. He already had the governor notch. Next!
He did enact Romneycare, which is virtually indistinguishable from Obamacare, but he has dissembled on that saying that while it was OK for Massachusetts, it would devastate the nation if everyone had those benefits. The real reason was the extreme right that he was pandering to considered the one thing he could remotely call a success to be an albatross around his neck. These are the same people who don’t believe in any type of government social programs, such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Since Ohio is now the center of the political universe, we’ve been plastered 24/7 with political ads. My last piece of advice would be to follow the money. Since the Citizens United case gave corporations the same rights as citizens, a lot of big money is paying for those ads. All of those Crossroads GPS ads are Karl Rove’s doing, paid for by anonymous money. Sheldon Adelson alone has invested $70 million to defeat Obama. Do you really think he spent that money because he’s worried about you? The Koch Brothers and Americans for Prosperity and many other groups backed by big corporate interests aren’t investing hundreds of millions because they’re worried about you. The same groups are investing tens of millions to defeat Sen. Sherrod Brown, too. Vote for your best interests, not to enhance their bottom lines. Vote for the real public servants.

With an inexplicable sequel to “Silent Hill” descending upon theaters Oct. 26 and Disney’s new gaming-centric animated film “Wreck-It Ralph” coming out the following week, it does not appear that Hollywood’s obsession with video-game-based-film franchises will be stopping any time soon.
This is typically a bad deal for both film fans and gamers alike. With a few exceptions, most movies based on games have been pretty horrible. From the bizarre post-apocalyptic take on “Super Mario Bros.” to the utterly uninspired Mars action of “Doom,” moviegoers have been force-fed utter garbage in the form of their favorite gaming experiences “brought to life” on the silver screen.
Still, there remain a few franchises that have yet to be touched by Hollywood’s rampant lack of imagination. And as standards for the modern blockbuster go up, surely someone will be able to craft a movie that can satisfy both the multiplex hordes and gamers alike? Perhaps. Here are a few games that still have yet to feel the sting of adaptation — games that, in the right hands, could actually make damn fine motion pictures.

“God of War,” released 2005.

The Concept: A bad-ass Spartan warrior wages a one-man crusade of vengeance against (surprise!) the God of War and, eventually, Olympus itself.

The Pitch: “It’s ‘Clash of the Titans’ meets ‘Rambo!’ Hopefully with a way better story!”

Changes for the Big Screen: Lead character Kratos is a violent psychopath, driven insane by his own ambition and the manipulation of the gods. The story would have to balance the spectacles the game presents with quieter moments to spotlight the character’s struggle. An emphasis on his background before he began his crusade, particularly the history of his family, would go a long way to accomplish this.

Dream Casting: Game director David Jaffe has expressed that “Blood Diamond”‘s Djimon Hounsou would be perfect for the role of Kratos, and it’s hard to disagree. Barring him, a physically imposing action star like Dwayne Johnson would work very well.

Will It Happen?: There have been designs on doing a GoW film ever since the first game was released. For a while “Rush Hour” director Brett Ratner was attached, but he’s since departed the project. The project seemed dead for a long time, but in July, Sony announced that writers Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan were working on the project. The pair had previously penned some of the “Saw” movies and “Piranha 3DD.”

Would It Be Any Good?: That pedigree from its writing staff does not inspire confidence, and this is the definition of a franchise that would need to walk a fine line to succeed. The games’ stories would need embellishment without diluting the core spectacle that makes it what it is, and the games are famously over-the-top in sexuality and gore. It’s a tough sell for moviegoers at large, but considering the success of “300,” who knows?

“InFAMOUS,” released 2009.

The Concept: A bike messenger suddenly gains electricity-based superpowers, and attempts to inspire (or intimidate) his city from descending into chaos, all while unraveling the mystery around his fate.

The Pitch: “It’s ‘Spider-Man’ meets that guy with the lampshade from ‘Big Trouble in Little China!’”

Changes for the Big Screen: The basic premise and story actually need very little alteration, as it’s filled with enough drama and surprises to transfer beautifully. Cutting down on some of the side plots and beefing up the central character’s moral dilemma would help a bit.

Dream Casting: “Breaking Bad” Emmy winner Aaron Paul is not only the spitting image of protagonist Cole, but clearly has the ability to portray both the power and vulnerability the role needs.

Will It Happen?: A film version of the first game was announced shortly after its release, but three years, a sequel and a vampire-based DLC spin-off later, there has been little other word.

Would It Be Any Good?: But if it happened, it could be marvelous. The games like to present moral quandaries to their players, letting them choose whether to be heroic or villainous. This is the kind of ground loads of popular movies love to mine, and the fact that it’s a superpower story is just icing on the cake.

“Metal Gear Solid,” released 1998.

The Concept: A legendary soldier is pressed back into service to stop a rogue military force from unleashing mechanized armageddon.

Changes for the Big Screen: The MGS series features a sprawling and complex (some argue overly so) narrative with multiple characters and plot twists, as well as extensive dialogue-laden cut scenes. Some streamlining of the story would be in order, as well as (here’s a first) a reduction in sheer amount of the game’s dialogue.

Dream Casting: Fans have debated candidates for the lead role of Solid Snake for as long as the game has existed. My current choice: Jeremy Renner, Oscar nominee for “The Hurt Locker” and Hawkeye in “The Avengers.”

Will It Happen?: After years of rumor and aborted attempts, a movie adaptation was officially announced by Columbia Pictures in August. Avi Arad, founder of Marvel Studios, is set to produce.

Would It Be Any Good?: This is a tough one to call. The basic plot of any one of the games is so complex that to condense it into two hours seems a goal to daunt Sisyphus. But Arad has spun straw into gold a few times before.

Buying a fishing license is not something I think to do on my own. I am typically reminded to do so by someone that I’m going to fish with. It’s like I pretend to forget, although most of the time I end up buying one due to the ingrained voice and look my father once gave me regarding them. He reasoned that what we are paying for is not permission to fish, but for the DNR (Department of Natural Resources) to regulate fishing so that fish populations can be sustained for a healthy ecosystem and fishing economy. OK, I can understand.

However, power plant cooling water intake systems kill billions of aquatic creatures annually, according to the Sierra Club, which makes purchasing a fishing license seem irrelevant. The Ohio DNR sets daily fish limits on the number of fish you’re permitted to keep. There is unlimited catch and release, but for example, a person can only keep 40 yellow perch, six walleye and five bass in one day’s work (bearing a few exceptions by date and some site-specific regulations).

According to Lake Erie Waterkeeper’s website, over one million pounds of fish are lost per year, including 77,812 walleye, 123,405 yellow perch and 17 million white bass at First Energy’s Bayshore Power Plant at the mouth of the Western Lake Erie, where it takes in 182 million gallons of water a day (down from 749 million gallons of water a day at full operation during the past summer).

According to the Sierra Club, “It is no coincidence that power plants are located along some of our nation’s mightiest rivers and most treasured waterways … power plants use more water than any other industry sector in the United States, withdrawing more than 200 billion gallons daily.”

Even with three of its units not operating, Bayshore’s water intake kills fish all day, every day, without paying fees and without repercussion.

With that being said, I bought a fishing license last week to go fishing in the Great Lakes’ fishiest river and best walleye spawning river in the world, the Maumee. As you may have read last week, I have not been fishing on a boat in the Maumee, nor have I caught a fish in the Maumee. I’ve mainly caught garbage, actually. This time was different.

It was a sunny fall day and Len put in his boat at Cullen Park. First, we went across the river to the BP water intake area. The water is warm and shallow in this little cove and tends to be a popular hangout for fish. Len caught a bass on his first cast. I had a bite, but mostly was practicing the new pendulum casting technique with my lure, a long blue rubber worm with a tail.

Next, we cast along a rusting steel wall along another cove, this one lined with train cars and gravel mounds. No catches. We moved over to the western shore of the river, and the next hour and half, we were busy pulling in fish. I caught my first bass, about 16 inches long with four rows of teeth, and it seemed pretty easy to catch a fish thereafter. Granted, I was with someone who has spent a lot of time surveying the landscape when the river is at different depths, so he knows what is happening beneath the surface. Together, we caught and released a total of twelve bass, a handful of blue gill and a couple of crappie.

As we got ready to head in, I saw an interesting perspective on Toledo. Looking straight ahead were the Downtown buildings and all the bridges (the high level being my favorite), including two railroad bridges, one with a train passing through and the other no longer fully connected. To my left were mounds of coal and gravel, empty train cars, stationed cargo vessels, and an active dredging crane. Passing on the right was a dredge boat taking a load out to the lake to dump. Beyond that boat was the U.S. Coast Guard Station, an old naval base, the wastewater treatment plant and a bunch of docked yachts.

What a special feeling to be in the middle of such a completely industrial scene that often goes unseen. And to experience it on the river, knowing how much more there is to the water than just what we were floating on, and how it is constantly compromised and interfered with, yet flows with such grace, strength and resonation with change. Among it all, I did not feel completely anxious or overwhelmed or the need to raise a fist. It all felt sort of right in its own place.

A Tony Award-winning production designer will get the chance to design Oscar’s stage come February. Derek McLane will serve as production designer for the 85th Academy Awards telecast, show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced Oct. 24.

McLane

This will be McLane’s first time designing the Oscars set and ceremony, which will be seen around the world in more than 225 countries.

McLane has designed a plethora of sets, several of which have been nominated for Tony Awards. He received four nominations and won Best Scenic Design of a Play in 2009 for his work on “33 Variations.” McLane’s other Broadway credits include “The Heiress,” “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” Gore Vidal’s “The Best Man,” “Follies, “Anything Goes,” “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo,” “Grease and “I Am My Own Wife.”

Here are some examples of McLane’s work, from his portfolio on his website:

The set for “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” a Gershwin musical that opened on Broadway in April.

The set for “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo,” a play that opening its limited Broadway run in 2011 and featured Robin Williams in the title roles.

The set for “Ragtime,” for which he was nominated for a 2010 Tony in scenic design of a musical.

The set for “33 Variations,” for which McLane won a Tony in 2009 for scenic design of a play.

One of the biggest challenges for the Oscars production designer is creating the set for the Dolby Theatre stage, one of our favorite parts of the ceremony.

John Myhre, who won an Art Direction Oscar in 2002 for “Chicago,” designed the 84th Academy Awards. Steve Bass and David Rockwell have also been past Oscars production designers. Rockwell won an Emmy in 2010 for his work.

In other other Oscars news…
After a stint this past year as a consultant, Danette Herman is back in charge as coordinating producer for the 85th Oscars, producers announced Oct. 22.

“Danette has just the right combination of relationships and instincts for the job,” said Zadan and Meron in a statement. “We are extremely pleased that she has agreed to be a part of the 85th Academy Awards team.”

Herman has been associated with the Academy Awards for almost four decades. Her most recent credits include co-producer of 64th Primetime Emmy Awards and will again serve as coordinating producer for “The Kennedy Center Honors” in December. She has also worked on the Academy’s Governors Awards and “Stand Up to Cancer.”

McLane and Herman are added to the growing list of behind-the-scenes people helping put together the 85th ceremony. Michael B. Seligman was named supervising producer on Oct. 15. Seth MacFarlane was named host and face of the Oscars telecast on Oct. 1.

Toledo Free Press Lead Designer and Film Editor James A. Molnar blogs about all things Oscar at TheGoldKnight.com. Watch him discuss movies on “WNWO Today” around 5:50 a.m. on Fridays. Also, listen to James discuss movies on “Eye on Your Weekend” on 1370 WSPD every Friday at 6 p.m.

Some Toledoans have received a postcard claiming that Councilman Phil Copeland, running for Lucas County recorder, lied about receiving his GED. His opponent Councilman George Sarantou said he had nothing to do with the cards.

“I am appalled at what I believe to be an unfounded accusation against Phillip Copeland. This is obviously somebody’s idea of dirty politics,” Sarantou said at a news conference Oct. 24.

Copeland said the postcards are wrong and he has an online document to prove it. He attended Scott High School in the early ’60s and received his GED in 1976, the union business manager said.

“That’s pretty low. If he didn’t do it, I can’t swear that he did it … but to even repeat it, if you didn’t have anything to do with it, then why did you repeat it?” Copeland said, adding that if the situation were reversed he would not have had a press conference.

“[Sarantou] wasn’t coming to try to disclaim that (the postcards’ claims), he was coming to put on a show,” he said.

Copeland said someone did tell him last week that they had heard he had not received a GED. However, the person declined to share where he or she received the information.

Sarantou said he received about seven phone calls Oct. 23 from people who were “troubled” by the postcard. He did not know how many people had received the card and said he had reached out to Copeland, but had yet to hear back.

“My campaigns have always been and will always be about my qualifications for the office I seek … If that is not enough to encourage people to vote for me, then so be it,” Sarantou said.

Copeland, however, said Sarantou did not contact him.

“George didn’t call me; if he called me, he didn’t leave a message,” he said.

Sarantou said he also contacted Lucas County Republican Party officials who said they also did not know the origins of the card.

The postcard encourages citizens to contact the media and “ask them why he (Copeland) lied.”

“He doesn’t even have a GED. He hasn’t even graduated from High School but he still wants to be the Lucas County Recorder. Is he even qualified?” the card reads.

At the end of the conference, Sarantou said, “I am asking the unidentified person, individuals or organization behind this postcard to stop this action now. The last thing the voting public wants now is more mudslinging by candidates vying for any office.”

Editor’s Note: There was an incorrect date for the Adams Street Zombie Bar Crawl in the Oct. 24 Toledo Free Press Star. The Zombie Crawl is Friday, Oct. 26.

Zombie Crawl set for Oct. 26
The third annual Adams Street Zombie Bar Crawl is set for 8:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Oct. 26.
The crawl will start at Wesley’s Bar & Grill, 1201 Adams St., and move up Adams Street to Manhattan’s, 1516 Adams St., The Attic on Adams, 1701 Adams St., the Ottawa Tavern, 1815 Adams St., and Bretz Nightclub, 2012 Adams St., before heading back to Wesley’s.
This year’s event is sponsored by the UpTown Association in partnership with the bars, restaurants and businesses of the Adams Street corridor. New this year will be a beer tent with live entertainment provided by the Uptown Association at the corner of 17th and Adams streets, said UpTown Association board member Ryan A. Bunch.
Toledo School for the Arts students will be doing zombie makeup at the “Toledo Loves Love” mural, at 13th and Adams streets at 8 p.m.
The nearby Glass City Cafe, 1107 Jackson St., will be open 1-5 a.m.
“Anybody who doesn’t get their fill of brains for the night, they’ll be happy to feed them toast and eggs,” Bunch said. “There’s usually some zombie-themed food specials, too.”
Bunch said he started the zombie crawl almost as a joke with some friends, but 700 people showed up the first year and 1,500 people the next year.
“We expect this year to be even bigger. I think people enjoy getting dressed up and acting silly and weird for a night,” Bunch said. “I’m really excited. I love the nature of this event. It’s so loose and fluid. We say, ‘This is the day and this is the time’ and people take it from there. The bars usually do something unexpected. It’s cool to see something so organic take root because people like to have fun.”
For more information, visit “Adams Street Zombie Bar Crawl III” on Facebook.— Sarah Ottney

Gradkowski to appear at Oct. 26 Hallo-Bash

Cincinnati Bengals and former University of Toledo quarterback Bruce Gradkowski and his wife will be at Arnie’s at Levis Commons in Perrysburg on Oct. 26 for a party called Hallo-Bash with Bruce.

Bruce Gradkowski

“It’s gonna be a huge party,” said Arnie’s managing partner Denny Milligan. “The place is going to be pretty extensively decorated, like a haunted house. I’ve got 200 pumpkins, 50 bales of hay, decorations inside and out, fire pits on the patio. People are going to get a chance to party with Bruce and his wife. It’s just going to be a rockin’ party.”
Gradkowski, who is part owner of Arnie’s, is also in the process of opening a restaurant called Gradkowski’s near the intersection of Secor Raod and Dorr Street, as part of UT’s Gateway Project.
Gradkowski will be on hand from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. and the first 25 people in the door will get an autographed photo with Gradkowski, said Arnie’s owner Singh Grewal.
Costumes are encouraged. Gradkowski and his wife will be in costume and judging a contest, with $100 gift cards awarded to the best male and best female costume.
DJ Avalanche will play from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
“It’s going to be a blast,” Grewal said.
The event will also serve as a canned food drive to benefit the Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank. For every canned good item, attendees will receive a raffle entry for a football autographed by the Cincinnati Bengals, Milligan said. The drawing will take place at 1 a.m. and the winner must be present.
Arnie’s will host another Halloween party 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Oct. 27.
“We’ll be doing all the same things on Saturday, but minus Bruce,” Milligan said.
Arnie’s At Levis is located at 25818 N. Dixie Hwy., in Perrysburg. Attendees must be 21 or older.— Sarah Ottney

TMA’s ‘Made in Hollywood’ free with costume Oct. 27

Guests who visit the Toledo Museum of Art (TMA) on Oct. 27 dressed as a movie star will get free entry into the new “Made in Hollywood” exhibition.

The exhibit features more than 90 images by Hollywood studio photographers between 1920 and 1960, from the silent film era through the end of the studio system in the late 1950s, according to a news release.

The event will be held during regular museum hours, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., visitors can enter at the Grove Place entrance, walk the red carpet and be photographed before making their way to the exhibit, according to the release. There will also be a retro photo booth.

Regular admission to the “Made in Hollywood” exhibition is $8 for adults, $5 for seniors (age 65 and older) and students (ages 6–22). Admission is free for TMA members. General admission to the museum, 2445 Monroe St., is free.

For more information, visit toledomuseum.org.

–Staff reports‘Evil Dead The Musical’ returns
“Evil Dead The Musical” will be performed at the Valentine Theatre, 410 Adams St., on Fridays and Saturdays Oct. 26-Nov. 10 at 7 and 10 p.m.
“Back by popular demand,” the musical combines horror films “Evil Dead,” “Evil Dead II” and “Army of Darkness” to create a “hilarious live stage show that combines all the elements of the cult classic,” according to a news release.
The show, directed by Jim Norman, centers around five college students who go to an abandoned cabin in the woods and accidentally unleash an evil force that turns them all into demons. It’s up to Ash and his trusty chainsaw to save the day.
Due to profanity, adult themes, graphic comedic scenes and “lots and lots and lots of blood,” performances are recommended for ages 16 and older. Tickets are $20. Splatter zone seating is available. Based on available seating, a half-hour before each show, seats will be opened to students with valid IDs for $15.
For tickets or more information, call the box office at (419) 242-2787 or visit the web site
valentinetheatre.com.— Sarah OttneyHallowe’en in Greenfield Village
Greenfield Village is hosting its 30th annual Hallowe’en event.
Guests of all ages can enjoy Hallowe’en in Greenfield Village, inspired by Halloween celebrations from the early 1900s, said Melissa Foster, media and film relations manager for The Henry Ford in Dearborn.
Guests at the 30th annual event will travel a guided path lit by 900 hand-carved jack-o’-lanterns with designated stops for trick-or-treating. Among characters encountered along the path will be those from classic literary works, including “Treasure Island,” “Hansel and Gretel” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” Guests can also hear a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” or watch a classic scary movie from the silent film era.
“People enjoy it because it’s a different kind of atmosphere, without so much of that goriness that Halloween has taken on,” Foster said. “It’s more fun. It’s more interactive. We incorporate works from classic gothic literatures. It’s a neat way to experience the village.”
The final weekend of tours is Oct. 26-28, starting at 6:30 p.m. Last entry on Fridays and Saturdays is 9 p.m. Last entry on Sundays is 8 p.m. Tours take about an hour, Foster said.
Tickets are $12.75 for members and $15 for nonmembers. Children 2 and younger are free.
For tickets or more information, call (800) 835-5237 or visit www.thehenryford.org/events/halloweenevent.aspx.— Sarah Ottney

Part showroom and part working garage, Central Classic Cars is run by three area car enthusiasts who like to have “fun on wheels.”

The shop, at 8444 Central Ave. in Sylvania, opened in January. Owners Chuck Putsch and John Coppus of Tiffin and Ken Wise of Sylvania have been friends for decades. They buy, sell, repair and restore classic cars and are in the process of expanding the business, adding a second building and more equipment for body work.

The shop deals almost exclusively in classic cars and most of the vehicles are convertibles, Putsch said.
“Convertibles are fun things. Everybody loves them,” Putsch said. “You park this [restored turquoise 1955 Ford Thunderbird] outside and people will stop just to look at it. As soon as I have cars parked out in the grass on Central and the flags out front here and cars parked out front, it’s like a magnet. It brings people in. I have people who come in just to look around and see what we’re doing. So it’s a place to hang out.”
Also on display in the shop is a 1931 Studebaker Commander owned by Coppus’ grandfather and two 1958 BMW Isettas, tiny two-seaters resembling today’s smart cars. A 1965 Ford Econoline pickup truck is another vehicle that draws a lot of attention, Putsch said.
Putsch, who owns a 1961 Morgan, is a retired golf professional for whom cars have been a hobby for years.
“Cars were always a hobby, my interest away from golf, and I’ve done that forever,” Putsch said. “I have the opportunity to drive all sorts of cars in this business. It’s kind of a car guy’s dream.”
Coppus is president and owner of Coppus Motors in Tiffin, a third-generation family-owned business started by his grandfather in 1926 and the oldest operating Mercedes-Benz dealership in the country.
“The sales part is really fun. We get to meet a lot of really neat, interesting people,” Coppus said. “I think the business is kind of unique. I don’t think there are many around doing what we are doing.”
Wise is a partner at Findlay/Wise Wealth Management and an avid car collector.
“Ever since I could drive, I’ve loved cars,” Wise said. “I have cars that are slow and cars that are really fast. I’m attracted to their aesthetic quality. I like to look at them as much as I like driving them. You could hang them on a wall.”
Of the three owners, Wise is perhaps the most passionate about cars, Putsch said.
“He lives and breathes cars,” Putsch said. “It’s not even a hobby; cars are a passion for him.”
The shop is decorated with pennants, neon signs and other memorabilia.
“My grandfather was one of the first import dealers and, being a dealership as long as we have, we have a lot of memorabilia. So it was an opportunity for us to display it and it makes for a classy showroom,” Coppus said.
A series of hanging murals featuring race cars, classic cars and driving scenes cover the walls. Customers can order murals, including vintage photos or photos of their own vehicles, to decorate their home garages.
“It’s kind of that really friendly, ‘car-guy’ atmosphere where it’s a hangout more than it is a business you might say,” Putsch said. “People are excited when they come here. This is a place where they come to enjoy themselves and enjoy the whole experience. It’s a different atmosphere (than a dealership). We have unique things and it’s more like myself and another person getting together and talking cars and having a good time doing it. We want them to feel comfortable here, comfortable with us, so they’ll be a long-term customer and friend, so they can come by just to see what’s new and talk a little bit, talk cars.”

Space will soon double after construction of a second 5,000-sqaure-foot building is complete. The new space will serve as a showroom, allowing the current space, now divided between a shop and a showroom, to be used exclusively as a shop.
Central Classic Cars recently acquired some shop equipment, including a paint booth, from Vintage Restoration, a nearby car and motorcycle restoration business.
Its owner, Tom Bibish, decided to return to teaching and limit his business to vintage motorcycles by appointment. For more information, contact him at (419) 205-0796 or visit Vintage Restoration on Facebook.
“It was a good business. We had a lot of fun, made some good money, met a lot of new people and supported local business, but it was just getting to be too much because I couldn’t find qualified help,” Bibish said. “We just had so much work and you don’t want to let quality suffer just to get the job done. Those guys there [at Central Classic Cars], they are good car guys and I think everything’s going to be fine. It worked out well for everyone and I feel real good about it.”
Putsch said his favorite part of the job is the search for cars.
“It’s like fishing; you just never know what you’re going to pull out,” Putsch said.
Talking to car enthusiasts is also enjoyable, Wise said.
“The best thing about cars is you just meet lots of wonderful people,” Wise said. “I’ve been all over the country going to car shows and you might not like the kind of cars I like, but there’s that common passion. That’s the one thing I can say about cars. It’s a wonderful social thing. You get to meet a lot of really, really neat people. We have a lot of fun and we’re just trying to do something that’s a little bit different. For me, it’s a hobby business. I’m not in it so much to make money as just to satisfy a fix. It’s just fun. We’re all having a blast.”
For more information, visit centralclassiccars.com.

Fall is the perfect time to get your vehicle checked to make sure it’s in working order for winter, say area mechanics.

An inspection now can often save costly repairs later, said Bob Amonette, owner of Bob’s Tire & Auto in Toledo.
“Preventative maintenance is always cheaper than breakdowns,” Amonette said. “It’s like going to the dentist and getting your teeth cleaned. They start seeing the little cavities showing up and it’s cheaper to get the cavity fixed than to get a root canal.”

ASE Certified Mechanic Matt Amonette of Bob's Tire and Auto in Toledo works on a vehicle in preparation for winter. Toledo Free Press Photo By Sarah Ottney

A typical pre-winter vehicle inspection will include a check of the vehicle’s starting and charging systems, anti-coolant protection, belts and hoses, steering linkage, suspension, battery, brakes, tires and more. Bob’s Tire & Auto offers a fall vehicle inspection for $39.99, which includes an oil change.
“It’s for peace of mind,” Amonette said. “All those things are actually good to check anytime, but especially in the winter before the weather gets bad. If you’re like most people, who have an older car with higher mileage, it could save you a breakdown or money if you get it checked before it breaks.”
Belts and hoses are especially important to check going into winter, said ASE certified mechanic Matt Amonette of Bob’s Tire & Auto.
“Those are really the stuff that’s going to leave you stranded,” Matt said.
One of the most overlooked areas is air pressure in tires, which changes with fluctuating temperatures, Amonette said.
“It’s smart to keep an eye on your air pressure because for every 10-degree temperature change, you lose a pound of air,” Amonette said. “If the temperature went down 10 degrees, chances are you lost 10 pounds. And if the temperature goes up, you don’t always regain the full 10 pounds.”
Maintaining proper air pressure also helps tires last longer, Amonette said.
It’s also important to make sure your tires have enough tread to get through snow, said Bob Kazmierczak, enterprise development manager at AAA Northwest Ohio.
“If you don’t have good tread, the tires will spin more often than not,” Kazmierczak said. “If the wear bar on the tire reads 2/32, the tire is legally bald. If you’re not sure where to find those, take a penny and put Lincoln’s head upside down into the tread. If you’re able to see the top of Lincoln’s head, the tire needs replaced.”
Check both sides of the tire to make sure it is wearing evenly. If tires are bald on one side and still good on the other, the vehicle could have an alignment issue, Amonette said.
Wipers are also important to check going into winter, Kazmierczak said.
“They tend to be neglected quite a bit,” Kazmierczak said. “Don’t use them as an ice scraper. They don’t hold up well to that.”
Lights are another often overlooked maintenance check, Kazmierczak said
“As it starts getting darker earlier, you’ll see a lot of cars on the road that have lights out,” Kazmierczak said. “It’s definitely a good thing to have the lights checked and replaced.”
A vehicle inspection can keep travelers from being stranded during a winter storm or during holiday travel, he said.
“There’s nothing worse than having a car problem on a holiday where people are traveling and a lot of auto shops aren’t open,” Kazmierczak said.

It’s not usually a good idea to put off repairs, Amonette said.
“If your tie rod’s got a little bit of play in it and it’s going to go bad, it would be smart to fix it before it, No. 1, falls off or ruins your tire and now you’re buying a tie rod and a tire,” Amonette said. “If your battery is going bad and you don’t fix it and you just keep jumpstarting your car, next thing you know you’ve got a chance of ruining your alternator and your starter because you’re running it with low voltage and you’re jumping the car all the time. If you have a slight antifreeze leak from a belt or a hose or radiator and you just keep adding antifreeze, and the car starts running hot, you got a chance of possibly your water pump going out or overheating it, or the worst case scenario is ruining the motor. So that’s where preventative maintenance is a little smarter.”
Worse, sometimes what could have been an easy repair ends up causing an accident, Amonette said.
“It doesn’t always happen, but the worst part is people get in an accident over bad tires or something and say, ‘If I would have bought the new tires for 400-some bucks, I would have had new tires and probably not gotten in an accident. Instead I’ve got to pay a $500 deductible and I still need tires,’” Amonette said.
To be prepared, drivers need more than an ice scraper. They should also keep a blanket, extra warm clothes, a cell phone and nonperishable food items such as granola bars in their cars, Kazmierczak said. AAA offers winter car kits containing a candle, emergency flashers and more.
“Sometimes road service can take several hours on a really bad winter day, so you want to be prepared for that,” Kazmierczak said.

This crime-centered role-playing/action video game lets players take out Hong Kong crime syndicate as undercover detective Wei Shen in an open world format beginning with helpful tutorials as players progress. This one player game has no multiplayer mode, but offers online stats and leaderboards so players can compare their scores from three different experience point types – Triad, Face, and Police. Triad and Police points relate to Wei’s respective loyalty to each while Face reflects general reputation.

Players get a satisfying detective experience through a wide variety of elements including spycraft, safecracking, tracing phone, and stakeouts. The slo-motion options and melee actions work well, but camera issues occasionally hinder the experience especially when performing counter attack moves. Players can move the camera with the right stick (R3), but it still automatically recenters and creates obstacle/environment obstructions when rotating for better fighting angles. Players can drive, run, vault, use cover, throw, hijack, ram attack, grapple, jump onto vehicles, aim weapons, fire blindly, view maps, use phones, perform finishing melee moves, and change wardrobe, which make real impressions on bystanders to boost Face point scores.

The settings appeal with fantastic lighting effects while players can try secondary objectives and find collectibles. The strong voice acting and story writing blends between English and Cantonese languages for a compelling narrative. Originally envisioned as a continuing True Crime game series installment, Sleeping Dogspacks a surprisingly potent punch and comes recommended. Grab downloadable content packs like the Top Dog Silver Pack for extra point advantages, which yield impressive new abilities (***, rated M for violence, language, and sexual content, also available on PC, Xbox 360).

Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson is set to speak in Northwest Ohio on Nov. 2.
Johnson, the former governor of New Mexico, will participate in an event at Clazel Theatre in Bowling Green from noon-3 p.m. Nov. 2, said Kenneth Sharp, an active member of the Lucas County Libertarian Party and Toledo Free Press columnist.
The event will be a joint effort between Lucas and Wood county Libertarian parties.
Sharp said Johnson’s campaign reached out after learning they had an open slot for Nov. 2 and would be around the area the same day.
Currently, there are no tickets being distributed because the Clazel should be able to hold all attendees, Sharp said.
That could change based on response to the event.
The Libertarian group is hoping for at least 600 attendees.
“I think people from both sides of the aisle have really been let down enough that they’re looking for a viable third-party alternative,” Sharp said.
“Even a 5 percent voter turnout nationally for the Libertarian party would break the two-party monopoly, because it breaks open the campaign finances,” he added.
There is a strong Libertarian presence in Northwest Ohio, Sharp said, adding that Johnson’s vice presidential candidate Jim Gray had a strong turnout when he spoke in Bowling Green in August.
According to Johnson’s campaign website, he was known as the “most fiscally conservative governor” and for his businesslike approach to governing.